Families Mourn Deaths of Campus Crusade for Christ Students

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Family and friends are gathering at Heritage Baptist Church in Lynchburg on Monday to mourn the deaths of two "godly" Virginia Tech students.

David Lee Metzler, 19, and Heidi Lynn Childs, 18, were found shot Thursday morning in the parking lot of a campground located about 15 miles from the Blacksburg campus.

Investigators said on Friday that the murders appear to be a random act of violence, as reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Both sophomores, Metzler and Childs were actively involved in their church and were part of Campus Crusade for Christ, one of the largest Christian campus organizations in the world.

Metzler was training to lead a small group Bible study for freshmen this year.

"He would have been there leading helping other guys get connected to a community of other Christians and help them grow in their faith," Jeff Highfield, director of Campus Crusade for Christ, told WDBJ7 news.

Heritage Student Ministries Pastor Kent Gregory described the students as "godly young people whose lives revolved around their relationship with Christ first and everything else, afterwards."

Thousands have joined a prayer group on Facebook for the Metzler and Childs families. Campus Crusade for Christ members held a prayer meeting last week on Drillfield – where earlier this year the Virginia Tech community honored the victims of the 2007 shootings that resulted in 33 deaths.

The students were found near Caldwell Fields in the Jefferson National Forest – a popular hangout for Virginia Tech students – by a man walking his dog. Metzler was found in his Toyota Camry and Childs was found outside the car.

Law enforcement agencies, which are investigating the shootings as a double homicide, increased patrols on Friday.

Heidi's father, Donald Childs, is an aviation sergeant with the Virginia State Police, which is assisting with the investigation. He said the two students knew each other for years.